Developing a new tire or new generation of tires means overcoming multiple challenges.
Improving on one or two items without degrading the other performances is an amazing feat, but simultaneously making advances on lifespan, rolling resistance, comfort, and noise, and all while being more respectful to the environment and maintaining a high level of safety requires a great deal of know-how and major investments into research and development.
The Michelin Primacy5 tire, a considerable increase in lifespan while maintaining high safety from the first to the last mile
As part of a sustainable approach, it’s essential to offer a tire with excellent lifespan, a very high-performance level, and perfectly safe usage. It is the guarantee that the consumer can use their tires in complete safety from the first to the last mile. According to two surveys (1) conducted in 2023 for Michelin in Europe, the United States, and China, this is also among motorists’ main expectations, regardless of their vehicle type.
Thanks to a new patented tread pattern, a deeper-channeled tread (+10%) (2) allowing optimum water evacuation and the use of latest-generation functional elastomers, Michelin Primacy5 is A-rated according to the European standard. It increases safety by 4% on wet surfaces when new (3). Its increased lifespan (+18%) allows for driving for longer, approximately 7,000 km (≈ 4,350 miles) further than its predecessor (4), in complete safety, for both daily journeys and long family trips.
This increased lifespan is even more important in the knowledge that many vehicles are now heavier and more demanding, with a direct effect on tire wear. With a high-performance level both new and when worn, Michelin Primacy5 can be used for longer. This is a factor that contributes to reducing its environmental impact by 6% according to the tire life cycle assessment (LCA).
With the development of electric vehicles, noise and comfort are now factors that are ever more prized by consumers. Michelin Primacy5 continues the heritage of the Michelin Primacy ranges, integrating Michelin’s knowledge on reducing interior noise and optimizing comfort: work to design the new tread pattern, and, for each tire size, uniform positioning of the blocks and sipes, allowing the Michelin Primacy5 to achieve an excellent external noise and comfort level, and a reduction in interior noise.
Michelin’s environmental approach wants to appear pragmatic and globalized.
In order to continuously reduce its environmental footprint, Michelin is carrying out an assessment (LCA) for each of the 5 life-cycle stages for each new range: development, manufacture, transport, usage and end of life.
Before being marketed, each new tire must be better performing and more efficient than its predecessor. Michelin Primacy5 thus improves its LCA by 6% in comparison to the previous generation, thanks in particular to the combined improvement in its lifespan (5) (+18%) and rolling resistance (+5%) (6).
Michelin Primacy5, the tire developed to perfectly suit the characteristics of saloons and SUVs, regardless of their engine type
In the desire to have all car drivers profit from its latest technological advances, all the Michelin ranges must, depending on their specifications, benefit from these innovations. Michelin Primacy5 is a perfect example of this. It provides a level of requirement matching that expected of a saloon or SUV, whether this is a combustion engine, hybrid, or electric vehicle, combining lifespan, torque, range, weight, noise, and better environmental respect.
In this way, the Group is developing a global tire approach for cars and allowing its customers to choose their tires in accordance with their needs and not their car’s power source.
The Michelin Primacy5 tire will be available in 88 sizes in 2025, of which 64 as of January in Europe, with a total of 127 dimensions available by mid-2026.
It will also be marketed in other areas of the world, and particularly in Asia, as of March 2025.
(1) Yougov study, Dec. 2023 (EUR & CHN) MICH9.
With regard to tires for electric vehicles (EV), which of the following elements is the most important to you? Base: All adults who currently own or lease a traditional petrol car, a hybrid car, or an electric vehicle
Martec Study, USA – Oct. 2023 Source: Gipa Norway 2023 (1148) & GIPA Cina 2021-2022 Source: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm
(2) 10% increase in the groove rate compared to the Primacy 4+ range
(3) Wet braking performance – Wet braking when new and worn: External tests performed by TÜV SÜD Product Service, at Michelin’s request, between 80 and 20 kph, under weak grip conditions in July 2024, on dimension 205/55 R16 91V on a VW Golf 8 (worn means when worn on a machine (polished) to the tread depth wear indicator in accordance with European Regulation: ECE R30r03f) by comparing Michelin Primacy 5 (new: 100% – worn: 100%) to Michelin Primacy 4+ (new: 91.4% new – worn: 99.2%).
(4) Lifespan – External tests performed by DEKRA TEST CENTER, at Michelin’s request, in July 2024, on dimension 235/45 R18 98W&Y on a Tesla Model 3, comparing Michelin Primacy 5 (100%) to Michelin Primacy 4+ (82%).
(5) Lifespan – External tests performed by DEKRA TEST CENTER, at Michelin’s request, in July 2024, on dimension 235/45 R18 98W&Y on a Tesla Model 3, comparing Michelin Primacy 5 (100%) to Michelin Primacy 4+ (82%).
(6) Energy efficiency – Rolling resistance tests performed on a machine by TÜV SÜD Product Service, at Michelin’s request, in June 2024, on dimension 205/55 R16 91V, comparing Michelin Primacy 5 (100%) to Primacy 4+ (94.7%).
SOURCE: Michelin
